The American Dialect Society named hashtag the 2012 Word of the Year. Hashtag refers to the practice used on Twitter for marking topics or making commentary by means of a hash symbol (#) followed by a word or phrase. Twitter is a micro blogging platform, similar to texting on a phone. Users exchange information with their network in short bursts of no more than 140 characters. It is easy to search. You don't have to be a member to search for a term. Companies search for relevant conversation threads on Twitter.

Managers choose the hashtags for commercials. Consumers are encouraged to use the hashtag when making comments or asking questions. The infographic below asks, "Are Hashtags in Commercials Effective?" Read through it. What can managers learn about using hashtags in commercials? What works? What doesn't work?

Do you have a Twitter account? Did you tweet about the Super Bowl commercials? Which hashtags did you use? How will you use hashtags to communicate with your employees?